1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk device, such as a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a loading mechanism for a disk device for performing both a disk loading operation and a disk feeding operation as a disk loading tray is moved out of and into a base of the disk device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A disk loading operation must be performed in the use of a disk device, such as a CD-ROM drive, a DVD-ROM drive, or the like, to load an optical disk within the disk device. The disk loading operation entails placing the optical disk onto a disk loading tray while the tray is in a projected position with respect to a base of the disk device and then moving the tray to a received position to load the disk within the disk device.
In a conventional disk device, the disk loading tray is typically driven by a load motor of a loading mechanism to move the tray between the projected and received positions. Once the tray is moved to the received position, the disk is lifted from the disk loading tray as the base from which a spindle motor and a pickup are attached thereto is raised. The disk is then clamped by a clamping device and supported by a rotating shaft (i.e., turntable) operatively associated with the spindle motor. The pickup is then moved to a data reading/writing position by a feed motor to perform a data reading or writing operation.
It is evident from the above description that a conventional disk device requires a load motor and a feed motor to perform the disk loading and feeding operations, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost.
Accordingly, a need exists for a loading mechanism for a disk device wherein a single motor is commonly used to perform the functions of the load motor and the feed motor, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.
The present invention provides a loading mechanism for a disk device wherein a single motor is commonly used to perform the functions of loading a disk, such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, within the disk device and feeding the disk to a data reading/writing device. The loading mechanism uses a rack and pinion arrangement to move a disk loading tray out of and into a base of the disk device to load and subsequently feed the disk to the data reading/writing device. The loading mechanism for a disk device includes a tray rack operatively associated with a load gear which is rotated by a load motor for moving the disk loading tray from a projected position to a received position by hooking the disk loading tray. Once in the received position, the disk loading tray is unhooked by operatively disconnecting the tray rack from the load gear. The loading mechanism further includes a relay gear operatively associated with the tray rack for rotating as the tray rack is received into the base; a slide rack operatively associated with the relay gear for moving a damper from an unclamping position to a clamping position to clamp the disk; and a toggle lever capable of pivoting as the tray rack is moved within the base for operating a pickup rack for moving a data read/write pickup device to an operating position. Hence, a disk loading operation and a pickup feeding operation are performed by a single load/feed motor.
The slide rack for moving the damper includes a camming groove into which a camming protrusion formed in a damper holder is inserted. In operation, as the camming protrusion slides along the camming groove upon movement of the slide rack, the damper supported by the damper holder is moved from the unclamping position to the clamping position.
The loading mechanism of the present invention improves the operational reliability and tiring of the clamper, since the damper independently lowers and moves to the clamping position only after the disk loading tray has been precisely placed in the received position.
The loading mechanism further includes a projecting section which projects from the disk device as the slide rack moves toward the disk device to move the damper from the unclamping position to the clamping position. The projecting section provides an emergency ejecting operation upon depression of the projecting section toward the disk device. When the projecting section is pushed toward the disk device, the damper is moved to the unclamping position and the relay gear is reversely rotated to move the tray rack away from the disk device. This causes the disk loading tray to move toward the projected position. The projecting section is integrally formed at one end of the slide rack and projects from the disk device as the slide rack is moved away from the disk device by the reverse rotation of the relay gear. It is preferred for the damper holder to be supported at one end by the disk device to decrease the unclamping force necessary in moving the damper from the clamping position to the unclamping position.